The present invention relates to computer graphics, and more particularly to improving display characteristics in a computer graphics processing pipeline.
Prior art FIG. 1 illustrates a graphics system 100 constructed in accordance with the prior art. As shown, such graphics system 100 includes a graphics processor 102, a frame buffer 104, an RGB look-up table 106, digital-to-analog converters 108, and a display device 110.
The graphics processor 102 traditionally may include a transform module, a lighting module, a rasterizer and/or any other components commonly utilized in a computer graphics pipeline. Together, such components may be dedicated to rendering picture element (pixel) data that is to be displayed on the display device 110. The pixel data that is displayed on the display screen may be stored in the frame buffer 104 of the graphics system 100 in a digital pixel format.
During operation, the contents of the frame buffer 104 repeatedly are read out of the frame buffer 104 for the purpose of looking up appropriate digital RGB values utilizing the RGB look-up table 106. Such digital values are then fed to the digital-to-analog converters 108, which convert the digital RGB values into analog representations of the colors red, green and blue in order to be shown on the display device 110. In the alternative, the digital values may be fed directly to a digital display device 110.
For pixels that encode color using separate red, green, and blue values, saturation is proportional to the difference between these three values. Increasing the difference, while keeping their average the same, increases saturation. Note Prior Art FIG. 2.
Many problems result from there being a lack of control of saturation and other graphics parameters such as sharpness in graphic systems. For example, display devices 110 are often utilized in lighted environments, e.g. offices, etc. When external light falls on the face of a display device 110, some reflects back and is added to the emitted image. This reduces contrast, sharpness, and saturation. Further, graphics-intensive applications such as games or the like are often developed utilizing high-quality graphics systems and monitors. In use, however, such graphics-intensive applications are usually executed utilizing lower quality hardware, thus affording lower graphics quality.
There is thus a need for improving display characteristics, i.e. saturation, sharpness, etc. inside a computer graphics pipeline.
A system, method and computer program product are provided for improving display characteristics in a computer graphics pipeline. Initially, color data is received from memory of the computer graphics pipeline. Thereafter, the saturation of the color data is altered in the computer graphics pipeline for improving display characteristics. Next, the color data is outputted for being displayed by a display device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the color data may include a red value, a green value, and a blue value (RGB values). Further, the saturation of the color data may be altered utilizing the following equations:
red value=red value+(red value+red valuexe2x88x92green valuexe2x88x92blue value)/2n;
green value=green value+(green value+green valuexe2x88x92red valuexe2x88x92blue value)/2n;
and
blue value=blue value+(blue value+blue valuexe2x88x92red valuexe2x88x92green value)/2n;
where n is selected from the group of numbers consisting of four (4), eight (8), and sixteen (16). One of the RGB values of the color data is thus altered based on the values of the remaining RGB values. It should be noted that the foregoing equations may include any arbitrary non-zero denominator. Optionally, the color data may be subsequently clamped based on a predetermined threshold.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of altering the color data may include sharpening the color data. As set forth earlier, the color data may include RGB values. Further, the color data may be sharpened by increasing a difference between a current, and previous and next values thereof.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and studying the various figures of the drawings.